RTF is an excellent solution to the word to something else, inclyding LyX,
problem. Not only does it support practically everything bar macro virii but
it is also documented and reasonably sensible (quite a contrast with Word
binary format, which is subject to NDAs and baroque to put it mildly).
One would imagine the purpose of word binary format is to defeat reverse
engineering, even if it induces masses of bugs in word and trebles the code
size. Given the only way to fix bugs in word is to upgrade, which costs money,
conspiracy theorists would say I was right :-) IMHO they might not be entirely
wrong. Word 98 is avuabale without a NDA but the file format itself is just as
dire (not worse than word 6, primarly because doing wose is virtually
impossible).
Unofrtunately 99% of the time people need to do this the only avialable format
is word binary junk. Hence word2x, catdoc and MSWordview---you do not imagine
the authors of these beasts actually like word format, do you? I can only
speak for word2x's author myself, of course.
--
Duncan (-:
"software industry, the: unique industry where selling substandard goods is
legal and you can charge extra for fixing the problems."
